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Trump’s Gulch | Inaugural Opportunities: Making Ayn Rand Relevant in the Era of President Trump

Donald Trump is said to be an admirer of philosopher/author Ayn Rand. This is encouraging, but actions speak louder than words. President Reagan, as we know, was purported to have been an admirer of Ayn Rand. Rumor has it, he even took his oath of office carrying a copy of her masterpiece, “Atlas Shrugged,” in his coat pocket. Yet his record in office belies this. Government, including welfare spending and deficit spending, grew under President Reagan. This is certainly not consistent with Rand’s philosophy; she would have taken a wrecking ball to the federal government, eliminating all but its essential functions. So, bottom line, before we libertarians get excited about Trump’s supposed admiration of Ayn Rand, I would advise taking a wait-and-see approach. We’ve been down this road before.